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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: capital · lash · court · band · board · mouse · root · rush

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. root — of a plant
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. rush — hurry
  6. court — for sport
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. band — a ring
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. capital — money
  15. court — of law
  16. capital — a city
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a word
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. band — a music group
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com